It's About Time
by Reagan
Summary: A little Father's Day ficlet for Nathan and Lucus


Author: Reagan moniker11@bigfoot.com  
Title: It's About Time  
Summary: A Father's Day ficlet for Nathan and Lucus  
Warnings: None really just a brief mention of Lucus' less than stellar childhood.  
Rating: PG  
Setting: Somewhere between season one and two, when the new Seaquest is being built.  
Author's Notes: I was going over things in my hard drive and found this unfinished fic. I polished  
it up and cut some extraneous material and and viola. Sappy emotions ahead, read at your own  
risk.  
Props to George Straight who put me in this introspective mood to root around the dark recesses  
of my hard drive. One can never go wrong with the Box Set.  
  
  
It was early and Lucas was sitting on the dock, the morning sky just beginning to lighten. The  
sun would literally be rising out of the ocean in a few minutes, but that didn't matter to the  
nervous teenager. He had gotten up at least three times but through supreme force of will, had  
sat back down each time. Intellectually he knew the gift was perfect and the captain needed to  
hear what he had to say but waiting for the reaction was killing him. He still had a hard time  
believing these last two years. They were so vastly different from anything he had ever known,  
mostly because of the man still sleeping inside. So Lucas sat trying to calm the butterflies in his  
stomach and wait for the reckoning.  
  
Some indiscriminate amount of time passed before Lucas heard the screen door open. The sun  
was well above the ocean and he knew his time of waiting was now over. He had left the letter  
on the dining room table. The captain was sure to notice when he sat down for breakfast, as was  
his ritual. Normally Lucas would just be getting out of bed but this morning he hadn't been able  
to sleep much and the sounds and sights of nature were better than staring at the ceiling in his  
room. He felt the planks of the dock move as the Captain came toward him but Lucas refused to  
turn and face him. He was still nervous about the Captain's reaction and in turn his own response  
to it. He felt the hand on his shoulder as he finally looked up into the visage of Nathan Hale  
Bridger, staring down at him. Lucas thought the sun was playing tricks on his eyes but he could  
have sworn that there were tears in Nathan's eyes. He quickly stood up to get a better view but  
was pulled into a bear hug instead. Lucas was having a hard time breathing but at that moment it  
just didn't matter. He could literally feel the love and affection, from the man he considered his  
father figure, without a word being said. Eventually Bridger pulled back but still had his hands on  
Lucas' shoulders.  
  
"I...I don't know what to say, kiddo. I love you too." Clearly struggling for words, "I...no one  
has ever given me a more thoughtful or meaningful gift. I can only imagine how hard that was to  
write. Thank you." Nathan expressed, difficult though it was to keep his voice and emotions in  
check.  
  
Lucas was somewhat taken aback at the emotional response by the older man. He knew that the  
letter was significant but he just hadn't anticipated as strong a reaction as it invoked. His voice  
was also unsteady as he replied. "You're welcome sir. It seemed appropriate."  
  
Bridger just stood staring at the young man in front of him realizing just how far they had come in  
two years. He was amazed at the differences between this version of Lucas and the relatively  
emotionally handicapped one that first stepped on his boat. The only things that boy knew were,  
anger, rage, impatience, cruelty, and indifference. The boy had no concept of love, appreciation,  
self-worth, joy, or any other feeling remotely positive. But he couldn't stare at him forever or  
dwell on how much he wanted to beat the hell out of Lawrence Wolenczak or his ex-wife Cynthia  
for that matter. "I...will you read this to me?" He half asked, half pleaded. He had "heard"  
Lucas' voice as he read the letter but he desperately wanted to watch the young man's face as he  
listened to those words spoken aloud.   
  
"I...uh, er...that is," Lucas was surprised and more than a little bit nervous at the request. "You  
want me to?" He asked instead.  
  
"Yeah kiddo, I'd really like it if you'd read it to me." He hoped the timber of his voice carried  
just how much he hoped Lucas would.  
  
Lucas hesitated for a moment but couldn't turn down the joyfully expectant Captain. "Okay."  
  
Bridger handed him back the letter as they both sat back down on the dock facing one another.   
Each leaning against one of the posts rising out of the water.  
  
  
Captain,  
  
  
It was pure happenstance that I remembered this day. I glanced at the calender a couple of days  
ago and realized what Sunday was. So this is my way of saying happy Father's Day. I thought  
about what to get you but what do you get the man who has everything? I mean you have your  
own island, a dolphin, a soon to be recommissioned submarine, and a teenage ward. How do you  
top that?  
  
I was sitting on the dock desperately trying to think of something to give you when my mind went  
off on this weird tangent. I started thinking about my life before we met and I realized that of all  
the things I regret, well besides the obvious, were the things I hadn't said to people and thus  
began this letter.  
  
How do you say I'm sorry for being an obnoxious brat? I can think of literally hundreds of times  
that I was such a jerk to you for no reason. You accepted me and treated me with respect and I  
copped an attitude. You were patient and I put up walls. You were understanding and I threw  
tantrums. I really don't know why you put up with me but I thank god every day that I met you.   
How do you say I'm sorry for all the times I avoided you because I couldn't handle your  
compassion and acceptance? I knew you were different than my parents, but I couldn't risk the  
rejection again so I pushed you away, despite the hurt I saw in your eyes. Somehow I'm sorry  
doesn't cover it.  
  
How do you say thank you to the man that has given you a life? You listened when I spoke and  
helped when I let you in. You didn't turn away when I told you everything and held me when I  
cried. There was no condemnation or disgust just sympathy and support. How do I say thank  
you for giving me a home and a place to belong? Not because you want to show me off to  
someone more important, but because you actually like having me around. How do I say thank  
you for chasing the nightmares away? I try not to dwell on the number of sleepless nights I've  
caused you. Yet you were always there when I shot out of bed yelling at three a.m.. Thank you  
seems completely inadequate.  
  
How do you say I love you and hope that you understand what I know about that word I learned  
from you? When I was with my parents, love was just another four letter word. I had no clue  
that it meant something other than control. I know there have been so many times when I could  
have said those three little words to you but I could never force them out until now. Till I  
realized you deserved to hear them as much as I needed to say them. How do you say I love you  
to the one person in the world you want most to be proud of you? Not the IQ, or the  
accomplishments but me as a person. I didn't know I had value, real value as a person, until you.   
I love you, can never say it all.  
  
So on this Father's Day I'll say I'm sorry for the problems I've caused, thank you for everything  
you've done, and I love you for who you are.  
  
  
Lucas  
  
  
Nathan pulled the boy back into a hug as the tears flowed once again. This day hadn't been easy  
since Robert's death. But for the first time there wasn't this all consuming pain in his chest.   
There was instead a joy, a wholeness that he never imagined could be there again.  
  
When both of their tears subsided, Lucas pulled back saying, "Happy Father's Day, Captain."  
  
"Thank you, Lucas. Thank you for giving me a chance to be that again." 


End file.
